Edinburgh vs Glasgow
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Edinburgh leads 4–2. Character is a different question: Edinburgh is the old town and the new; Glasgow is the city of mackintosh and saints.
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Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Edinburgh
55
Glasgow
52
Edinburgh leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Edinburgh
254
Glasgow
410
Edinburgh leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Edinburgh
13
Glasgow
12
Edinburgh leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Edinburgh
20
Glasgow
24
Glasgow leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Edinburgh
16
Glasgow
23
Glasgow leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Edinburgh
4
Glasgow
2
Edinburgh leads
| What we measure | Edinburgh | Glasgow | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 55 | 52 | Edinburgh |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 254 | 410 | Edinburgh |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 13 | 12 | Edinburgh |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 20 | 24 | Glasgow |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 16 | 23 | Glasgow |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 4 | 2 | Edinburgh |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Edinburgh in orange, Glasgow in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Edinburgh scorecard →
The old town and the new
Glasgow scorecard →
The city of Mackintosh and saints